It’s the NXT TakeOver: In Your House go-home show and while a face to face featuring all five NXT Championship match contenders has been spoken of, it’s not on the preview… so it might be happening. Ember Moon versus Dakota Kai is definitely happening, as is Austin Theory versus Oney Lorcan. Killian Dain faces Isaiah ‘Swerve’ Scott. That’s theoretically a one on one match but I’m sure the rest of Hit Row will be with Swerve and I’m not sure Drake Maverick is enough to stop them. Poppy returns to NXT to perform tonight, and I’m still thinking that might mean a return for Io Shirai.

 

Results

Oney Lorcan def. Austin Theory

Isaiah ‘Swerve’ Scott def. Killian Dain

Mercedes Martinez def. Amari Miller

Grizzled Young Veterans def. August Grey & Ikemen Jiro

Ember Moon def. Dakota Kai (DQ)

 

 

Review

Austin Theory vs Oney Lorcan

It was a sad Austin Theory who came to the ring, alone, but Lorcan was alone as well. They showed footage from earlier, during Lorcan’s entrance. Theory and Johnny Gargano had met Lorcan and Pete Dunne resulting in security being required to separate them. Pete Dunne turned up just before a break and Gargano was there by the time we came back, but they stayed on opposite sides of the ring and didn’t directly interfere. Instead, they had a scrap while Theory and Lorcan were down and got dragged up to the stage and held apart by officials.

The match was decent, even if their teammates stole some of the limelight. They’re fairly evenly matched for the most part, but Lorcan has the distinct edge on brutality. Once Gargano was there, Theory got some extra motivation and pulled out a modified Spanish Fly that got him a credible two. It was shortly after that that Dunne and Gargano had their scrap. Austin Theory let himself get distracted by the commotion. Oney Lorcan took full advantage, smashed Theory’s head into the post then slammed him into the mat for the win.

 

LA Knight had a video package audition to be the one to carry on the Million Dollar Legacy. Fancy house, two beautiful women, and a flashy car.

 

Dok Hendrix gave us a run-through of the TakeOver card:

• Raquel Gonzalez vs Ember Moon
• Cameron Grimes vs LA Knight
• Xia Li vs Mercedes Martinez
• Karrion Kross vs Kyle O’Reilly vs Johnny Gargano vs Pete Dunne vs Adam Cole

That card is one match light.

 

Santos Escobar, with the rest of Legado del Fantasma, is angry with Bronson Reed and he’s planning to make him pay. Reed didn’t make him wait for a confrontation. From the stage, he made some jokes about squishing Escobar against the barricades and made them play the footage on a loop. Escobar invited Reed into the ring, and he got in there alone. MSK arrived before and harm could come to him. Legado del Fantasma escaped the ring and Escobar suggested a three-on-three Winners Take All match.  Reed and MSK said they were up for it. It was confirmed as the final TakeOver match a little later.

Hit Row came out for their match at the end of the segment and stared everyone down.

 

Isaiah ‘Swerve’ Scott, with Hit Row, vs Killian Dain, with Drake Maverick

Hit Row declined to take a Killian Dain suicide dive quite early on, which I don’t think they can be blamed for, but they were a factor in the match. Top Dolla and Dain had a verbal exchange that gave Swerve chance to attack. B-FAB distracted Dain and lost him control of the match. Maverick kept out of the way and yelled encouragement, which was probably the best thing he could have done.

Swerve decided trading blows with Dain was a good plan and ended up looking like he was seeing tweety birds. Swerve is quick and agile and skilled, but sometimes there’s no answer to the kind of power advantage Dain has. A flying crossbody from Killian Dain will effectively stop most momentum and a senton is going to leave you gasping for a minute.

Maverick jumped on Adonis after Adonis touched Dain’s leg. Top Dolla bounced Maverick off the apron and climbed the steps to yell at Dain. While they were arguing with Dain stood on the second rope, Swerve kicked Dain’s legs out from under him. One kick in the face later, Swerve was the winner.

 

After footage of Poppy arriving earlier in the day, Candice LeRae once again complained about her being a focus instead of them. Indi Hartwell is still obsessing about Dexter Lumis and ran off to find him. LeRae wondered out loud why that was still happening when they weren’t even a thing and wandered away from the interview.

 

Cameron Grimes also had a promo/audition video. He was smoking and drinking in it, and getting a massage. He’s not a smoker or a drinker. That was later confirmed by Triple H, but there was really no need. He also had a fancy house and big car, luxury rather than Knight’s sporty number.

 

Mercedes Martinez was attacked by Xia Li during her entrance for her scheduled match. They ended up brawling in the ring while Martinez’ intended opponent, Amari Miller, stood and looked on politely. Martinez eventually got back in the ring.

Mercedes Martinez vs Amari Miller

Martinez was so pissed off by the time the bell went the match lasted two moves, a knee followed by an air raid crash.

After the match, Mercedes Martinez yelled into the camera that Xia Li messed with the wrong person.

 

Breezango had an interview with McKenzie Mitchell about Imperium wanting to take them out. I’d give you the details, but they’re confusing because Fandango did most of the talking. The bottom line is they’re ready for Imperium and they’re on their way back to the titles. I hope that’s how it works out.

 

Poppy dropped her new album live on NXT in the presence of Triple H and William Regal, with Triple H fangirling out a promo for it. Dexter Lumis presented her with a picture and she hugged him. Indi Hartwell saw them hugging and ran off crying and screaming.

 

Ted Dibiase’s Million Dollar Announcement, once LA Knight and Cameron Grimes had finished bickering in the parking lot, was that Sunday’s match will be a ladder match. They have to climb the ‘Ladder of Success’. It’s gold.  They blustered a lot and bickered more in amongst their promos, but they’re both up for it. Cameron Grimes was the one to ask what they’d be climbing to get and security guards brought in a briefcase with the answer. There will be a Million Dollar belt hanging there and whoever wins will be the Million Dollar Champion.

 

Karrion Kross and Kyle O’Reilly were being pulled apart by security as we went for a break, with William Regal yelling, ‘No more’.

 

Ever-Rise will be hosting a Pre-Pre-Show on whatever platform they do their thing on.

 

Grizzled Young Veterans vs August Grey & Ikemen Jiro

Another fun match. GYV are better than I’ve ever seen them, and also more obnoxious, but there was a lot of excellent teamwork on display. Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher turned up halfway through with chairs and sat at the bottom of the match to watch. The distraction cost Grizzled Young Veterans control temporarily, but not the match. There was no suggestion they were ever in any real danger of losing.

The pin on August Grey, off Ticket to Mayhem, included Zack Gibson staring down Thatcher and Ciampa.

After the match GYV said Thatcher and Ciampa weren’t listening, they’re done with them. They’re only interested in MSK and the tag titles. Thatcher and Ciampa said GYV weren’t getting a tag shot unless they went through them. They got a little upset when Zack Gibson called them idiots, and threw their chairs at the ring. GYV suggested a tornado tag match next week. Thatcher and Ciampa agreed but weren’t keen on waiting until next week. They rushed the ring but GYV escaped. One of the chairs they threw earlier made it into the ring, so Ciampa threw it at them.

The match was later confirmed for next week.

 

Bobby Fish wants Oney Lorcan to know he hasn’t forgotten about him.

 

Candice LeRae came to the ring and called out Poppy. She’s suddenly all behind Hartwell and Lumis and accused Poppy of stealing Hartwell’s man. She told her to either come out and face her in the ring or she’d give her a proper introduction to the NXT parking lot… I’m fairly sure they’re not supposed to beat up the celebrities.

Poppy came to the stage and said she doesn’t wrestle, but she knows someone who does. Io Shirai is back. Poppy kindly held Shirai’s jacket while she rushed to the ring to give LeRae a beatdown and dropkick her out of the ring. Shirai and Poppy celebrated together while LeRae backed off holding her face.

 

 

Dok Hendrix confirmed that Bronson Reed & MSK vs Legado del Fantasma – Winner Takes All match – has been added to the TakeOver card, and Grimes vs Knight has been made a ladder match.

 

Shirai and Poppy came face to face with Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez when they crossed over backstage. There was an intense staredown between Shirai and Gonzalez while Poppy smiled politely at Kai.

Dakota Kai, with Raquel Gonzalez, vs Ember Moon

In a lot of ways, being paired with Raquel Gonzalez has damaged Dakota Kai’s standing. And having Gonzalez at ringside made it look like Gonzalez didn’t trust her to get the job done, or she didn’t trust herself.

With Moon motivated by revenge and Kai trying to inflict some damage on Moon before her title match on Sunday, this was vicious from the off. Heading into a break, Kai had moon laying on the apron. She grabbed her legs and spun her so she crashed her head into the ringpost and slid to the floor.

They were back into it when we came back and Moon was in the ascendency, briefly. The rest of the match was back and forth, with Moon having the best of the chances. Again, when Kai was being covered, Gonzalez was ready to come in.

Moon got to take them both down with a suicide dive after Gonzalez attempt at interference didn’t work out.

Ember Moon went to finish it, climbing the turnbuckle for the Eclipse. Raquel Gonzalez caused the disqualification by getting in the ring and kicking Moon in the face, knocking her from the turnbuckle to the floor. Moon wasn’t taking that and got back into the ring to brawl with her. She managed to deliver the new modified Eclipse from the powerbomb position and a proper Eclipse at the end, and laid Gonzalez’ championship over her before she left. Raquel Gonzalez was still motionless after Moon had left the ring.

 

William Regal tried to put a stop to the NXT Championship face off because he’s the GM and he says what happens. Kross told him he runs nothing and NXT has been out of control for a very long time. He’s not leaving the ring until the four competitors had come down and got their asses kicked.

Kyle O’Reilly was first. He came to the ring saying Kross was the most dominating champion, with the thinnest skin, and talking about the vein in his forehead that looks like it will pop when Kross gets angry. He thinks he’s insecure.

With O’Reilly stationed at a corner, Johnny Gargano was next out, but he came from the crowd area and spoke from the announce desk. He commented on Kross’ lack of grace and said he’s not in his league. He suggested Kross choke O’Reilly out. Pete Dunne joined O’Reilly on the apron, but a ring width apart. He complained he’s tired of waiting and offered to show them all why he’s the baddest man in NXT.  Adam Cole had even less courage than Gargano. He appeared by video link and said a lot of words. He’s the best and so on. You know that drill.

O’Reilly said Cole was too much of a bitch to be there kicking things off early, but that’s not him. Kross asked, who he is, exactly, and O’Reilly slapped his face. The brawl kicked off, security got involved as well and were thrown out. Everyone took something from someone, and everyone took something from Kross including security, but it was Karrion Kross standing tall at the end.  That is until Adam Cole appeared and kicked him in the head. Another superkick and a Last Shot followed.

Adam Cole raised the belt over his head as the show went off air.

 

 

Final word

Another good episode from WWE’s most consistent brand. TakeOver will be excellent, as TakeOvers generally are.